Close-run contest as battle for the Labour leadership closes

MPs, MEPs and party members had until 5pm yesterday to cast their ballots after voting for members of trade unions and affiliated organisations closed on Tuesday.

Polls suggest that Shadow Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, MP for Doncaster North, had closed the gap on brother David as the race came to the wire but bookmakers Ladbrokes still made Shadow Foreign Secretary David, MP for South Shields, the narrow 4-7 favourite, ahead of his younger brother on 5-4.

Labour’s complicated electoral college system and the redistribution of votes to second-preference candidates made accurate prediction of the result all but impossible.

Around three million people are expected to have voted, and their ballot papers will be counted by the independent Electoral Reform Society before the announcement of the successor to Gordon Brown on September 25.

The candidates – also including Ed Balls, MP for Morley and Outwood; Andy Burnham and Diane Abbott – will be informed of the result shortly before the winner is announced in Manchester at 4pm on Saturday.

The winner will be plunged straight into Labour’s annual conference in Manchester, using his or her first leader’s speech to try to rally the party’s troops and restore unity after a three-and-a-half month contest which has seen rows over whether to stick to the New Labour agenda.

Meanwhile, Harriet Harman will return to the post of deputy leader, after four months as acting leader.

Voting also closed yesterday in the race for Labour’s nomination for the London mayoral elections in 2012, with former mayor Ken Livingstone and ex-MP Oona King believed to be frontrunners. The party’s choice will be announced tomorrow.

The announcement of the new leader will trigger a ballot for the shadow cabinet, with around 50 MPs expected to put themselves forward when nominations open on Sunday.

The chief whip will be voted in separately, while the leader, deputy leader, Lords chief whip, leader in the Lords and chair of the Parliamentary Labour Party will have places in the shadow cabinet by right.

Would-be shadow cabinet members have until September 29 to throw their hats into the ring, and MPs will vote for up to 19 candidates the following week.

The lesson Labour must take to heart: Page 13.